The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-21
GREEK-LETTER SOCIETIES FOR GIRLS.
The Fraternities Now in Existence-Their
Growth in Western Colleges.

Growth in Western Colleges.
Correspondence o. the Indianapolis journal.
New YoKK. Aug 19.-Wnen the aspiring
freshman has passed his entrance examination
the first university honor that he Graves is an
election to ono of the college fraternities. If he
is a Bostonian, his father, his brother or his
cousin before him belonged to Psi u; if he is a
Providence man. his chums reckoned in with
Zeta Psi; if he is New Yorker he afilates nat
uraly with Beta Theta Pi, Delta Kappa Epsilon,
Chi Phi or Chi Pei. In some Of the younger
western institutions the Greek letter society.
bringing its members as it does into relations
with the oldest and richest colleges in the coun-
try, must seem at times more powerful almost
than alma mater herself; certainly by students
and alumni it is often better beloved. There
are thirty-three such fraternites at present
existing among the men of the American col
leges. The chapter houses are not infrequently
among the finest buildings on the campus. Each
society. a rule. has its badge. which is con-
spicuously worn its publications, its songs. Its
banquets and it's conventions That a similar
state of affairs is growing up in the women's
colleges, that girls Greek letter fraternites not
only exist, but are multiplying. is faat not so
generally known.
From an priori point of view there is no
reason why the fraternity idea should not COM
mend itself to girl students, and many reasons
why it naturally would. For one thing, the
mems societies in co-educational college ex-
clude the women students. The locked door of
the fraternity rooms is a perpetual challenge to
retaliation. That talk of initiation ordeals,
hints of passwords, notices, grips and recoRni-
tion signs should be as it were in the air around
them, tokens of mysteries always to tantaize
fhayr foh a c1oH x.ln
ton in more passive creature than the average
course, in the colleges which admit
men and both that the women's
Greek letter societies originated. and it
is in them that the sIsterhoods have chiefly flour
ished. Repeated efforts have been made to es-
tabish a chapter of this order or that at Vassar,
but fedgling has ever proved strong enough
to withstand the faculty's frown. Wellesley has
had secret SOCIETIES at one time and another,
but they have never proved permanent institu
tons The new women's college at Bryn Mawr
has local society which may or may not gather
strength with age. Cornell. Syracuse Uni
versty, Boston University, ST. Lawrence
in the northern part of this State,
Ann Arbor, Kansas University, North
western University, Minnesota Unworthy,
and the host of Western co-e EDUCATIONAL schools
the homes of the women's Greek letter So
cieties No one of these organi cations is old
enough-the senior society reckons barely sew
enteen years-to count any large lumber of
prominent alumna, but several have credita-
bic list of women who are known and more who
doing good work. though they may not be
before the public The number of societies at
present organized With principles and methods
akin TO the Greeketter fraternties is seven.
About fifty active chapters are known. and
conservative estimate of the membership would
put it between 2. 900 and $1,000
The oldest society is Kappa Alpha Theta,
started at Asbury University. now DePauw
University, Greencastle, Ind, Jan. 81. 1870.
The largest society is Kappa Kappa Gamma,
which has nineteen chapters and whose member
ship is something above thousand. The rich
est society Is probably Alpha Phi, whose Alpha
chapter at Syracuse University. has erected
this year beautiful chapter house. the only
building of the sort, so far as the writer is
aware, thus far owned by any of the ladies' So
cieties
Among the regular members Of the societies
Kappa Alpha Theta has upon its books Presi-
dent Alice Freeman, just resigned from Welles-
ley College. who wat initiated into Eta Chapter
during her student life at Ann Arbor; Miss
same school, and other women holding high po-
sitions at DePauw University and Iowa Wes-
leyan. Mrs. Mary A. Livsrmore and Mrs. Julia
Ward Howe haze accented honorary mem ber-
ship In Kappa Kappa Gamma, and the former
at least wears sometimes the badge of the order,
unique and pretty jeweled key. Mrs Ruther-
Francis E. Willard well-known in temperance
circles belongs to Alpha Phi
The women's societies by name, furnished
me by Mr. William Raymond Baird, whose book
upon college fraternities. edition of which
is now in preparation, is the main authority on
the subject, are as follows Sigma Kappa
organized at Colby University in 1874 1t has
but chapter. Alpha Beta Tau has two
chapters. at the Mississippi State University,
the other at tho Oxford. Miss. Female Institute.
Alpha Phi, though it has but three chap e-s, is
Of the strongest of the fraternites, b ing
very securely entrenched at Syracuse Uni
versity, where it was founded in 1872. 1t has
some wealthy women among its alumuae who
have the interests of Chapter Alpha, now num-
berng perhaps $50 members. at heart. Beta
Chapter is at the Northwestern University,
Evanston, ILL.,. and Eta Chapter has been placed
at Boston University. The badge is jeweled
monogram, and the colors silver gray and Bor-
deax. Delta Gamma has ten active and two in
active chapters. all in the West and South. It
it rapidly growing fraternity. and holds bien-
NAL conventions. The badge is golden
tery magazine called the Delta Gamma
Anchora A chapter was maintained at St.
Lawrence University. Canton N Y, until re-
Gently Gamma Phi Beta has three chapters.
1t was founded at Syracuse University IN 1874,
and Bishop Haven gave it its motto. It's other
chapters are at Ann Arbor and North western
University. It's badge is gold monogram, and
its coors light and dark brown.
Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma.
founded In the same year and already referred
to the Oldest and largest, respectively, of the
women s fraternites, have long been rivals. The
planting of Eta Chapter by the senior society at
Ann Arbor, the first feminine association get
a foothold in that university, was considered a
great acquisition. The society now has eleven
chapters, Iota at Cornell, XII at Wesleyan and
Lambda at the University of Vermont, giving it
a strong Eastern wing. The most Western chap
ter is at Lawrence, Kan. The fraternity pub
fishes magazine and song book.
Kappa Kappa Gamma is the most fully organ
lied of the women's Greek letter societies.
Founded at Monmouth College, ILL.,, October H.
1870. the anniversary of that day is generally
celebrated by the chapters 1t now represented
IN the East at Boston University, ST Law
renee University Syracuse University, Cornell
and Wooster universities, these five chapters
constituting Alpha Province. Beta Province
includes six chapters, placed at Indiana
University, DePaEw, Butler University,
Hiilsdale College, Adrian College and
Wisconsin University. Gamma Province has
eight chapters, at Ino OILS Wesleyan. Northwest